Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-17
CHOCTAW LAWS.
Synopsis OF the WaEk Accomplished
by the Thirty -BsRe Days sess'"H OF
the Choctaw National Council.
The White Man Can't GO Into the Country,
Marry q squaw and Grow Eich as
Easily as i Days Conc By.
pec,aI Correspondence of the Gazette.

FORT SMITH, ARK, Nov. 1.-THE
Choctew Council adjourned on Thursday
last after quiet session of thirty-nine
days, during which time some new laws
were enacted, old ones amended end
many claims for citizenships passed upon,
8 large majority of which were rejected.
Among other laws passed was the fol-
lowing, which is of general importance TO
whites residing in the Choctaw nation
under permit:
An act to provide for the protection Of
the public domain:
l. Be it enacted by the General
Council Of the ChoctaW Nation as
sembled, that 1t shall not
ne lawful for any noncitizsn Of the
Nation, whether under q traders permit
10 regide ana do business in the Nation
or otherwise to enclose for his own use
end benefits more lands than sufficient
to build 3 tenement or business house
upon, not to exceed. il in q town or
village, more than two town lots of usual
size.
2. Non-eitizens who own houses and
buildings for the purpose OF renting them
and are renting them, shall within sixty
days from the passage Of this act, dispose
OF the same, or DE dealt with in the same
wav as provided for in the sale OF non
Ic;t,Z- ms improvements under the law OF
October 80, 1877, in reference thereto.
3. All enclosures or pastures owned by
non citizens shall be sold to either
within sixty days after the passage OF
this act, or they shall be removed by the
sheriff of the county in which said en-
closures Or pastures are located, or open
ed up for common pasture purposes to
the citizens Of the Nation.
4 The non citizen failing or refusing
to comply with the requirements OF the
first section Of this act, shall be deemed
and held as forfeiting their permits, and
shall be further held to be fntruders, and
their removal shall be demanded by the
principal chief.
The above law is now in force and Will
work quite 8 hardship on hundreds OF
non-citizens who have made improve
ments under the old law.
A law was also enacted prohibiting
citizens Of the Chectaw nation from en-
ploying non citizens to take charge Of or
herd cattle, horses, sheep, hogs or goats,
except to feed them in pens or pastures.
This law was vetoed by the Governor,
and afterward passed over his heed by a
tseS- thirds majority OF both houses This
tfgw IS regarded with much disfavor oY
many citizens Of the nation, who LOOK
upon it as direct STAB al the stock rails
ing industry.
Another law which Is causing consider
able comment was passed during the
closing hours Of the session. Il Is 10 the
effect that any white man desiring II
marry 6 citizen Of the ChocsaU
nation must Htst pay into TIT
treasury OF the ration the sun
of 800, otherwise he Will no
be regarded as s citizen and will have n
rights IN the Nation more than any othe
non-citizcn.
Heretofore white msn became 8 bon
= fde citizen Of the Nation by marrying
native, and q large majority of the whit
- citizens Of the Nation secured their right
r, in this way, many OF them oecomin
d wealthy. The trouble about this new la
is that very few who go into the Natio
g fBr the purpose Of securing wife az
SsIable to pay so large sum for the priv
s. lege.
A resolution was passed on the 9th au
It thorizipg the national secretary to Civ
: public notice TO any and all persons Wh
81 NAV have claims to Choctaw citizsnshi
fl to file their applications with him With
ID Sky days after the passage OF the set, an
,es all who fail to comply will be entireI
debsrced from making application for cl
lg izenship in the Cnoctaw nation. Addres
A. Telle, National Secretary, Atoke, &
The above is very important to man
who reside in Texas, Mississippi and OIL
:, er states who may claim citizenship
this nation.
All claimants to citizenship whose al
Se plications were rejected by the Counc
have the right of appealing their cases
Il the United States Indian Agent, who h'
& the power to reverse the decision OF Il
. Council, his decisioniiD such cases bell
g flual, when approved by the DEPARTING
~ of Indian Affairs at Washington.
~ ~. Among the appropriation bills pass
nd. was one appropristing s7975 t
We paving tuition and o.her e
. penses of twenty-eight Chocts
children TO be sent TO school in the stat
during tie current year. These childr
are selected from the different counti
of the nation by a superintendent q
consist of fourteen males and the sal
( number OF females.
! A memorial was adopted praying Co
q gress TO make the necessary appropri
s. tion at it's next session to pay the enc
s. laws the IS OO0,OUO known IS the y
81 proceeds claim," which has been d
81 these many years.
The Council consists Of hirty-t
members, twenty in the House of Repl
sentatiYes and twelve in the Senate 1
Joint committees of the Gener i Cou
Gil are chiefs message, 1x
ci0ry, schools, citizenship petitions
finance. Eacn house has a journalist,
recording secretary and doorkeeper,.'
TWO former receiving IS per day es
- and the latter 81. A sergeant at arr
- clerk Of citizenship committee q
draUghtsman, receive SIS per pay ca
Eight light horsemen are In attendal
and get 90 30 per day esch The me
bers each receive SIS per day, except
Speaker Il the House and President
the Senate, who are paid Sc per day es
The national officers are Princi
Chief or Governor, whose salary Is ~
per snnum; National Secretary, sal
and TAGS AI0uO ner Rnnum: National